Peanut Butter Is Healthy—if You Follow This 1 Rule

IT’S NOT QUITE time to eat a meal, but you’re hungry. It’s that critical juncture, and peanut butter is always there for you.

Whether you dunk into it with an apple or spread it on toast, peanut butter provides a super convenient way to snack. But, of course, not all convenient foods are good for you. As long as you keep a few guidelines in mind, peanut butter can be a wholesome option to reach for.

“Peanut butter is a nutrient-dense source of energy with properties associated with a number of health benefits. Peanut butter contains healthy unsaturated fats, protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals including magnesium, vitamin E, niacin (vitamin B3), and zinc,” says Avery Zenker, R.D., with Everflex Fitness. It’s versatile, widely available, and generally affordable to boot.

Here’s the scoop on peanut butter and what it can do for your health.

Is peanut butter good for you?

Yes, peanut butter is a great choice for healthy eating.

“Its highest nutrient is fat at 55 grams per 100 grams. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin B3 at 89 percent of the recommended daily value, a vitamin that is important in metabolism and reactions in DNA repair,” says Garcia.

It’s also got plenty of vitamin E at 60 percent of the recommended daily value per serving. Vitamin E “functions as an antioxidant, stabilizing free radicals and minimizing damage in the body,” says Garcia. “It is also known to help the immune system by defending the body against infectious agents.”

Beyond these benefits, peanut butter is also a good source of the following:

• Magnesium, which is essential for healthy nerves, blood, and bones,
• Phosphorous, which helps your cells function well
• Zinc, which aids the immune system
• Niacin, which assists digestion
• Vitamin B6, which handles a bunch of bodily functions

Although fat can contribute to greater calorie intake, the type of fat in peanut butter is monounsaturated, which has been shown to decrease low density lipoprotein (LDL), potentially lowering the risk of atherosclerosis.

“Peanut butter, when it is just ground peanuts, is an extremely healthy food that is full of healthy fats, carbs, fiber, and protein,” says Ellis Hunnes.



What counts as peanut butter?

With a million nut-butter related products on the market these days, it bares clarifying. Though it sounds self-explanatory, peanut butter is a butter-like spread made of peanuts.

If we’re getting specific: “Peanut butter is made of dry-roasted peanuts that are then ground. In the past, peanut butter contained additional ingredients to preserve shelf life and mix all ingredients well (emulsifier),” says Blanca Garcia, R.D.N., nutrition specialist of MIDSS.

You can, of course, readily purchase peanut butter without any added sugars, preservatives, or emulsifiers.

“Typically you can get peanut butter as a smooth spread or a spread with chunks of peanuts. The most common peanut butter will often have 10 percent salt, added sugars, hydrogenated vegetable oils, and emulsifiers to keep all ingredients mixed,” Garcia says. “For the smooth style, ingredients may be added to create a thick paste that spreads easily.”

Your best route is all-natural peanut butter, which is typically made with only peanuts, and sometimes a touch of salt for flavor.

Is peanut butter good for muscle building?

If you’re looking to bulk up, peanut butter does have protein—but it might not be the most efficient option. Two tablespoons of peanut butter have eight grams of protein, and about 190 calories. A typical protein bar has about 200 calories, and 20 grams of protein.

But, it might be a solid choice if you also need the added calories, Ellis Hunnes says.

“So many people focus on protein, don’t get enough calories, and then wonder why they have trouble gaining muscle,” she says. “It’s because we really need both (and actually, less protein than most people think). So, yes, it’s great to add to smoothies, eat on its own, eat with fruit, etc., to help with muscle growth.”

Is peanut butter good for weight loss?

Yes, peanut butter might help people looking to lose weight—so long as you use it right.

This is because eating a spoonful or two of peanut butter can help you stave off hunger and contribute to you consuming fewer calories later. “A 160-calorie portion (two tablespoons) may in fact keep you from eating 300 or 400 extra calories as snacks or other ‘treats’ later in the day, so it turns out to be a calorie savings, which is what you need for weight loss.”

Garcia says that peanut butter, with its protein and fiber, helps trap sugar molecules and prevent all of them from being absorbed. “Excess sugar can be sent to the liver for storage as fat, the idea is to consume foods that can help eliminate the excess sugar before it’s absorbed,” she says.

All that said, “because of [peanut butter’s] high-calorie content of 597 calories per 3.5 ounces, the calories can quickly add up.,” says Garcia. “Therefore, it’s important to be aware that more than 3.5 ounces of peanut butter per day can easily add to the equivalent of a meal.”

What You Should Look for When Buying Peanut Butter

Whether you’re eating peanut butter to amp up your biceps or drop weight, you should always seek out products with the least amount of ingredients as possible to ensure you’re getting a high-quality, nutrient-dense food without excess sugar.

“When buying peanut butter, the key thing to look at is the ingredient list,” says Zenker. Be wary of claims made on packaging without reading the nutrition facts and ingredient list first. The healthiest options are usually called “natural peanut butter,” which typically contain only peanuts, and perhaps salt.

Worth noting: Natural peanut butter usually has the natural oil from the peanuts separated on the top, which is perfectly normal, and just needs some stirring before use.

On the flip side of things, you’ll want to watch out for peanut butter products with added sugar, palm oil, hydrogenated oils, or any artificial ingredients, says Zenker.

“These ingredients could be the difference that turns peanut butter from a minimally processed food to an ultra-processed food,” she says. Any specialty peanut butters, like chocolate flavored, those with added honey, or similar products will likely be higher in sugar. The same is usually true for reduced-fat peanut butters, because they often contain more added sugar to make up for the lower fat content.

The amount of added sugars in non-natural peanut butter is often relatively small (one-to-two grams per tablespoon) compared to many other processed foods. What makes a significant difference in the end is the portion size. So, is it going to be the end of the world if you reach for a jar of, say, Skippy or Jif, that has added sugar? No.

“It’s all about finding a balance that works for you, focusing on moderation and enjoyment rather than stressing too much about every detail,” Zenker says. “What matters most is how peanut butter fits into your overall diet and how it helps you feel nourished and satisfied.”